The Rundown for August 8, 2018

MATTIS TALKS MILITARY’S FUTURE IN SPACE… Defense Secretary Jim Mattis revealed yesterday that he supports the idea of a space-focused military command but didn’t align it with the new “Space Force” branch of service that President Trump has proposed. ”We need to address space as a developing war-fighting domain and a combatant command is certainly one thing that we can establish,” said during a briefing at the Pentagon. Options will be presented in a Pentagon report to Congress expected by the end of the week.

MICHAEL COHEN INVESTIGATED FOR TAX FRAUD… President Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen is the target of a tax-fraud investigation. The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that Cohen’s taxi-medallion business is at the center of the probe, and federal prosecutors are reportedly also looking into false statements Cohen may have made on loan applications. Cohen’s former accountant, Jeffrey Getzel, has been subpoenaed in the case.

RICK GATES RETURNS TO THE STAND IN MANAFORT TRIAL… Rick Gates offered wide-ranging testimony yesterday in his return to the stand in the fraud and tax-evasion trial of his longtime business associate and former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Gates told that Manafort instructed him to falsify documents to get bank loans approved and admitted that he may have “improperly” submitted personal expenses to President Trump’s inauguration committee. During cross-examination, Gates admitted to having an extramarital affair about a decade ago, but denied using money embezzled from Manafort’s overseas account to fly first class to London and to pay for an “apartment he kept there for trysts.”

FORMER BUSINESS ASSOCIATES CALL WILBUR ROSS A ‘GRIFTER’… Forbes magazine warned yesterday that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has allegedly stolen more than $120 million from business associates and could be “among the biggest grifters in American history.” The report drew its conclusions from lawsuits, reimbursements and a Securities and Exchange Commission fine. 21 people who had business dealings with Ross stepped forward to portray him unfavorably as a man obsessed with money.

ENTERTAINMENTRUBY ROSE LANDS ‘BATWOMAN’ ROLE… Australian actress Ruby Rose has signed on to play ‘Batwoman’ in a new TV series on the CW network. The series will center on television’s first LGBT superhero. The 32-year-old Rose is best known for her work in the Netflix series “Orange is the New Black.” She next appears in the deep-sea adventure film “The Meg,” which opens Friday.

JOLIE WANTS TO HURRY DIVORCE… Angelina Jolie is trying to speed up her divorce from Brad Pitt. Her attorney yesterday filed papers in Los Angeles Superior Court seeking a judgment by the end of the year. The paperwork claimed Pitt has “paid no meaningful child support since separation” and said that although informal arrangements had been made with him, payments “had not been regularly sustained.” Jolie filed for divorce in September 2016 after two years or marriage and a 10-year romance. Jolie is seeking primary custody for the couple’s six children.

SPORTSMLBNL SCORES…WASHINGTON 8 – Atlanta 3… Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman hit back-to-back homers during a four-run bottom of the fourth inning and the Nationals cruised past the Braves in the opener of a doubleheader. Trea Turner had three hits and an RBI.

Atlanta 3 – WASHINGTON 1… Ender Inciarte hit a two-run triple in the top of the ninth inning and the Braves hung on to beat the Nationals and pick up a split of the twinbill. Charlie Culberson smacked a game-tying homer in the sixth.

St. Louis 3 – MIAMI 2… Matt Carpenter’s 30th homer was a go-ahead solo shot in the top of the eighth inning and the Cardinals held off the Marlins. Paul DeJong tied the game with a two-run homer in the seventh.

Cincinnati 6 – N.Y. METS 1… The Reds opened with a three-run top of the first inning and cruised past the Mets. Phillip Ervin lifted a sacrifice fly and hit a two-run homer. Pinch-hitter Dilson Herrera added a solo shot. Sal Romano (7-9) limited New York to a run on two hits over six innings.

San Diego 11 – MILWAUKEE 5… The Padres rolled past the Brewers after spotting them an early 4-0 lead. Manuel Margot homered, tripled, singled and drove in five runs. Franmil Reyes went 3-for-3 with a homer and three RBIs. Hunter Renfroe also went deep for San Diego.

Philadelphia 5 – ARIZONA 2… Asdrubal Cabrera doubled home two runs during a four-run top of the eighth inning as the Phillies topped the Diamondbacks. Nick Williams homered to lead off the third. Nick Pivetta (7-9) pitched five-hit ball over six scoreless innings.

AL SCORES…Boston 10 – TORONTO 7 (10 innings)… Mitch Moreland belted a three-run homer and Jackie Bradley Jr. added a two-run shot during a five-run top of the 10th inning that carried the Red Sox past the Blue Jays. J.D. Martinez hit a three-run homer of his own and singled home a run.

TAMPA BAY 4 – Baltimore 3… Willy Adames came through with a walkoff two-out solo homer in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Rays rallied past the Orioles. Tampa Bay pushed across two runs in the eighth to tie the game.

Minnesota 3 – CLEVELAND 2… Mitch Garver connected for a three-run homer in the top of the second inning and the Twins made it stand in beating the Indians. Adalberto Mejia (2-0) allowed just one hit over five shutout innings.

TEXAS 11 – Seattle 4… The Rangers walloped the Mariners and gave 45-year-old Bartolo Colon his 236th career victory to become the top-winning pitcher born in Latin America. Rougned Odor hit a two-run double and a two-run homer. Jurickson Profar blasted a three-run homer. Adrian Beltre also went deep.

N.Y. Yankees 4 – CHI. WHITE SOX 3 (13 innings)… Miguel Andujar singled home Didi Gregorius with a tie-breaking run in the top of the 13th inning and the Yankees hung on to outlast the White Sox. Andujar also singled home a run in the seventh. Giancarlo Stanton homered with a runner aboard in the 10th, but Chicago’s Jose Abreu tied the game with a two-run homer in the bottom of the frame.

INTERLEAGUE SCORES…Chi. Cubs 5 – KANSAS CITY 0… Mike Montgomery (4-4) scattered five hits over six innings and three relievers completed the Cubs’ blanking of the Royals. David Bote legged out a two-run triple and singled home a run.

Houston 2 – SAN FRANCISCO 1… Tyler White’s two-run homer in the top of the eighth inning as the Astros upended the Giants. The game featured a duel between Houston starter Dallas Keuchel and his counterpart Madison Bumgarner, but neither got a decision.

L.A. Dodgers 4 – OAKLAND 2… Rich Hill (5-4) took a shutout in the sixth inning and the Dodgers handled the Athletics. Cody Bellinger and Matt Kemp produced run-scoring singles.